5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker is derived from Omaha Hi/Lo. It is one of the most popular variations of the game and can be played at a wide range of top online casinos and the best poker sites online. In this 5-Card Omaha Hi/Lo poker guide, Gambling Zone takes an in-depth look at how the game works.
Hand Values in 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
The hands for a Hi round of Omaha 5 Card Hi/Lo are the same as traditional poker hands.
Straight flush | Five cards of sequential rank in the same suit. The higher the cards, the more valuable the hand. |
Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank. |
Full house | Three cards of the same rank and two cards of the same rank. |
Flush | Five cards of the same suit. |
Straight | Five cards of sequential rank but not the same suit. |
Three of a kind | Three cards of the same suit. |
Two pair | Two sets of two cards of the same rank. |
One pair | Two cards of the same rank. |
High Card | If no one holds any of the above hands, the winner is the person holding the highest-value card |
The hands for a Lo round of Omaha 5 Card Poker uses the California system to rank hands. This system is also known as ace to five hand ranking. It does not matter if you have a straight or flush in Lo hand ranking.
Five Low/Wheel | A hand consisting of a Five, Four, Three, Two, and an Ace |
Six Low | Five unpaired cards where the highest is a Six |
Seven Low | Five unpaired cards where the highest is a Seven |
Eight Low | Five unpaired cards where the highest is an Eight |
Ties are possible since flushes and straights are irrelevant in Lo hands. In the event of a tie, the lowest second-highest-ranking card wins the pot. For example, 7,6,5,4,3 would lose to 7,5,4,3,2
The Turns in 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
A game of Omaha 5 Card Poker starts with each player receiving five cards, known as the hole cards. The player immediately clockwise of the dealer bets the small blind, then the person clockwise to them places the big blind, and the person after them is the first person to make an unforced action. They are known as “under the gun”.
Pre-flop
After assessing their hole cards, the person under the gun can fold, call, or raise. Folding means they exit the game, calling involves betting the same as the big blind, and raising requires the player to bet at least double the big blind.
The turn then moves to the next player, who has the same options as the initial player. The action will continue like this until all players who have not folded have contributed equal bets.
Flop
The flop is the first set of cards revealed from the deck. Three cards are taken off the top of the deck and placed face-up on the table in front of everyone. Any player can use these community cards to complete a hand.
Another round of betting and decisions starts with the small blind holder.
Turn
The turn is the fourth community card drawn from the deck and displayed face-up.
Subsequently, there’s another round of betting starting with the small blind holder again.
The River
Next, the fifth and final community card is placed face-up, followed by another round of betting.
The Showdown
Now, it is time to see who has won the hand. If more than one player remains for the showdown, the last person to make a bet is the first one to reveal their cards. If no actions were taken during the river then the first active player to the left of the dealer reveals first.
The player with the best Hi hand wins half the pot, and the player with the best Lo hand wins the other half. In Omaha 5 card players must use two of their hole cards with three of the community cards. No other combination of cards is allowed.
If there is a tie between the Lo hands then the Lo half of the pot is divided further. If there is no one with a Lo hand then the Hi hand winner takes the whole pot.
Different versions of 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
Variations of Omaha 5 Card Poker relate to placing different limits on how much players can stake.
Pot Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
In this version of the game, the rules dictate how much you can stake in each round in relation to the value of the pot. Generally, the minimum bet is the same as the big blind, while the maximum bet is equivalent to the total pot.
Raises must also fall within a range. The maximum raise value is calculated based on the total pot, the bets made in that round, and the amount the active player must call anyway.
Fixed Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
The fixed-limit version of this game is very similar to the pot-limit version. However, the limits are pre-determined by the size of the blind rather than in relation to the pot. During pre-flop and flop, bets and raises are the same value as the big blind. Then, during the turn and the river, these limits double.
In fixed-limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo poker, players are only allowed four bets per round. These include an initial bet, a raise, a re-raise, and a cap.
No Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
In No Limit 5 Card Omaha, the minimum wager remains the same as the big blind, but there is no upper limit. However, when players choose to raise, they are required to match or exceed the amount of the previous bet or raise of that same round. Otherwise, there are no additional constraints regarding the amount or frequency of betting.
Poker Chips
Betting Actions in 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
Players have three choices when it is their turn. They can fold, call, or raise. Folding means you no longer wish to compete for the pot, and you exit that hand.
Players call to match the previous bet and raise when they want to wager more than the previous bet. If a player raises, all remaining players must match their bet or fold.
You can also re-raise which is to increase the wager value after it has already been increased in a previous turn.
If no players have made a bet, you may opt to check, passing play to the next player without making a bet.
Where to play 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker Online
The UK’s largest operators offer poker platforms with 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker games. As well as the top online casinos like Mega Casino, Lord Ping, and others allow players to play 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo for real money.
